BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

This TIFF 2020 coverage is published in collaboration with the Afrotaino.

J Balvin is one of best-selling Latin music artists in the globe. He was the most streamed artist worldwide on Spotify in 2018. He was the first reggaetonero to perform on Saturday Night Live. Singing primarily in Spanish, J Balvin has been able to cross over to non-Spanish speaking markets which is a huge feat for Latin American artists, gaining him the title "Prince of Reggaeton."

When I saw that The Boy from Medellín, directed by Matthew Heineman, was premiering at TIFF it was at the top of my watch list. J Balvin is one of my favorite reggaetoneros and, like most fans, I am interested in learning more about his life. The Boy from Medellín follows J Balvin leading up to his first solo concert at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium in his hometown of Medellín, Colombia. The Boy from Medellín is an Amazon Original film.

The film begins as J Balvin finishes up a performance in Mexico to a crowd of thousands. Much like the song El Cantante sung by Héctor Lavoe, the film is about the unseen reality of José Álvaro Osorio Balvín between stepping off one stage and preparing to perform in Medellín. El Cantante, which is J Balvin’s favorite song, serves as a metaphor for José’s struggle to balance his personal life and stage persona.

Growing up in Medellín, José always dreamed of performing at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium. He even has a bucket list of places he has performed at and hopes to travel to. The film offers a glimpse into J Balvin’s early life through personal archival footage and social media videos. José is also vulnerable about his mental health on his musical journey.

When J Balvin was young, he moved to Miami with his first love. The romantic aspirations of “making it” in the U.S. were shattered by the grim reality. He had to paint houses during the day to make a living. At night, he would dress up and pretend to live a fabulous life at shows. He grew depressed and discouraged by the struggles he faced as an immigrant trying to break into the U.S. music industry. J Balvin ended up going back to Medellín. He acknowledges that his own city helped raise his music and talent.

While J Balvin is vocal about his depression, he struggles to navigate political situations. As J Balvin prepares for his Arco Iris Tour, there are mass protests in the streets of Colombia over discontent with President Duque. Privately, José expresses his support for the protests but, as J Balvin, he does not know how to respond to the situation. After posting a social media post about the issue, J Balvin goes to perform the sold-out concert in Medellín.

While The Boy from Medellín does provide an intimate portrait of J Balvin, it is a surface level portrayal. The film is definitely a character-driven story with a clear timeline and arch. However, what was missing for me, as a fan, was meeting more of the people in J Balvin’s life like his family, friends, and pets. I also wanted to learn more about his music, see him rehearse for the concert, and talk about his fashion and artistic style.

J Balvin broke down barriers in reggaeton. Most of the popular reggaetoneros were very macho presenting before him. When J Balvin came on the scene, he had multi-colored hair and wore head to toe Chanel. J Balvin’s career is so rare because he changed reggaeton, which is seen by the fact that he is the first reggaeton artist to break international music barriers. These details were missing from The Boy from Medellín. As a fan, it leaves me questioning what this film could have been if it had been directed by a Latinx filmmaker who intimately understood the reggaeton industry and impact.

The Boy from Medellín will premiere on Amazon Prime. The release date has not been announced.